New Ulm weekly review., 1887-09-07
Tie Two Kings.

ed from every herd of wild horses on
the prairies and found none to match
this coal black K steed.
1t is 20 O'Clock in the day as they fol-
low the blind trail along the Little
Colorado. Here is man with the eve
OF an eagle, the courage OF lion and
the nerve of a statue Here is a horse
with the scent of a wild animal, the
feetness of the wind and the endurance
OF machinery.
70 the west are the, White Mesa
Mountains. the home Of the grizzly and
cinnamon hiding place of the gray
wolf full of gloomy canyons in which
death lurks-here and there valley in
which the bones Of: white men lay
bleaching in the MONDAY sun.
To the east the plains, cut through
by Indian trails washed and quilted
by the cloud bursts -heaved into fantas-
tic shapes by the awful power Of the
earthquake.
The courage which separates a man
from kth and kin and the world to
dwell with himself amidst hourly dan
gers is not to be questioned Men who
die braveiy on the battlefield would
draw back in alright after one look in
to a mountain canyon at high noon.
They are awed al the very thought of
the terrible travail which rent the
great hill asunde9: The darkness which
falls into the rift tells of thousand
dangers The faint echoes which reach
the ear seems to tell you to fly to a
place of safety.
Watch the pair-horse and rider-as
they slowly pass. There are four ears
| to listen, four eyes to watch. No artist
could picture more grace and strength
and confidence. The rifle is ready with
its deadly bullet-the mucles of the
horse culver at the thought Of a long
run in which he will leave the wind be-
hind. There is danger, but both are
ready. There is a wild exultation in
knowing there is danger.
just here wedge-shaped ledge of
rock crowds down almost to the river.
Once past it and there is an acre of
grass land. an open basin in which the
violets and pansies bloom as if to
OF age away. Here the hares scamper
and play; here the black-taled deer
come to feed. 1t is as if, after nj ght
OF fury and destruction, Nature re-
Tented as day came again and crowded
back the rocks to create this basin as a
peace offering.
Stop
The hunter horse has scarcely tram
pied the violets under foot when from
the opposite side rides forth another
horseman. It is an Indian chief The
proud feathers of the eagle designate
his rank. The manner in which he sits
his horse proves him king. None but
king could ride that horse-his eyes
flashing, his nostrils quivering, his
muscles standing out like Wres
Stop!
The two kings are face to face. One
is king of his tribe. the other of noun
tain. prairie and plain. Each bears
thes scars of a score of conflicts. At
the red kings belt bangles score of
scalps. In the stock of the white kings
rifle are out dozen notches. The red
king wears an armlet of the claw of
the grizzly bear. The white king can
dangle before him the great teeth of
the same monster.
You listen for shouts of surprise and
defiance. There is none. You look
for some swift movement OF offanse OF
defense. There is none Horse to
horse-man to man-king to king
they stare at each other, but make no
movement. Let either rife be raised a
foot and blood would fow, Let either
horse paw the ground and the conflict
would begin. There is scarcely !,
quiver of the eyeiid as the kings in
spect each other The horses trteinible
with excitement, but not a hoof is
raised.
The seconds whirl away-orle-two
three minutes go by. That basin
would have held a thousand spectators,
and during those three minutes each
man would have lived day. The
suspense would have paled every face
and made every limb tremble.
See
Their right hands go up as il linked
together. The palm of each is outward.
That signifies truce. Each horse
moves slowly forward and the men al
most touch each other as they pass.
Each has found in the other king. A
struggle between them must end m the
death of both. They are not to be
friends, but the fight is postponed for a
day--a Week-a year-untll one eau
secure an advantage Hands up
palms outward. Hunters and warriors
have often broken the pledge but these
men will not Kings give their pledge
and die to keep it. They look defiantly
into each others eyes as they pass, and
then their backs are towards each
other. A coward would turn and shoot
hlngs are not towards. There is no
fear of treachery.
And they ride to the east and the
west and pass out of sight and hearing.
and the hares which ran awav in alarm
come back to nibble at the sweet
grasses. and the brown bird whose
nest and young We're almost crushed
underfoOt returned to sootl,e the fripht